Individuals with psychotic disorders experience profound challenges in maintaining a coherent sense of self and identity over time. Although disturbances in the basic, momentary sense of self are core features of psychotic experiences, less is known about psychosis’s impact on the autobiographical self, the experience of being a coherent and...
We investigated the relationships between trauma, depression, and pelvic pain severity in patients with chronic pelvic pain. Previous research has demonstrated that pelvic pain is associated with trauma history (e.g., physical and sexual abuse). As one potential mechanism of this relationship, trauma may lead to increased susceptibility to pain by...
Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, exposure therapy – repeatedly approaching a fear/anxiety trigger – is not widely used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. This may be due to its image as an aversive (and even harmful) approach to treatment and its reduced rates of compliance among patients. However, if exposure...
The prevalence of obesity within the US continues to rise, and many individuals elect to involve supportive others in their weight loss. Social support is generally helpful in weight management, but its mechanisms are less understood. One construct that deserves further attention is homophily, or the notion that “birds of...
Recent estimates indicate that 21 million US adults live with Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The management of the condition often requires patients to take multiple prescription medications to prevent disease progression; yet prescribed regimens themselves can become burdensome. Studies have shown that for patients with T2DM, the average regimen...
Health literacy has been shown to be a key component of patient understanding of medical diagnoses, adherence, and self-efficacy. Limited health literacy has been associated with a number of negative outcomes— including more severe illness, increased use of emergency services, and mortality. The concept of mental health literacy has arisen...
This integrated dissertation focuses on the relationship between family functioning (including marital conflict, family conflict, and parental depression), youth depression, and long-term functioning of adolescents who were treated for depression. This dissertation consists of three distinct studies: a meta-analytic study of the relationship between marital conflict and youth depression and...
Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is among the most frequently reported adverse events during and following cancer treatment. Between 17% to 75% of chemotherapy-treated cancer patients evidence long-term cognitive deficits as many as 20 years after treatment. The variability in prevalence and the mechanisms of persistent CRCI are not well...
Difficulties in prosody (e.g., intonation, volume, rate), turn-taking, and overly formal speech constitute common social communication deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can significantly hinder social interactions (Paul et al., 2009). Subtle parallel differences in social communication have also been noted in parents of individuals with ASD, suggesting that...
Pragmatic language refers to the use of language in social contexts and encompasses a broad range of verbal and nonverbal skills, which are critical to effective communication (Berko-Gleason & Bernstein-Ratner, 2009; Mey, 1993). Difficulties in pragmatic communication are a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Similar deficits are also...